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 Chap. II.]

MEDIEVAL INDIA.

39

banks of the Euphrates, than an important trade sprung up in the Persian Gulf, ad — and Indian produce was transported in large quantities up the river, and then west to Pahnyra, which reaijed the advantajije to such an extent that even Rome I'x^'"" *™<^® condescended at one time to com't its alliance. After this proud city had simiCuif. declined and was tottering to its fall, the Persian monarchs continued the traffic which had been established, and by means of it enriched themselves at the expense of the Greeks, who had made Constantinople the capital of their empire. As we have now touched on medieval times, it may suffice, in concluding the sketch of ancient India, to mention that the great staples of its trade were then nearly the same as at present, and consisted chiefly of cotton and silk goods, dyes, drugs, spices and aromatics, pearls, diamonds, emeralds, and other precious stones. These were paid ciiietiy in the precious metals, but partly also in woollen cloth, lead, tin, brass, wine, and a few foreign perfumes. Though a ])assage in the Institutes of Menu, which refers to sea voyages as well as land journeys, implies that the inhabitants of India had begun at an early period to navigate the ocean, they seem to have confined themselves to coasting, and to have left the external trade entirely in the hands of strangers. This aversicm to commit themselves to the open sea had its origin in superstitious feai-s, which still contiime to operate.

CHAPTEIi 11.

Medieval India— Arab conquests — First appearance of Mahometans in India — Conquest of Scinde by Mohamed Casim— E.xpulsion of the Arabs — House of Ghuznee — Sebektegin — Sultan Mahmood.

Mahuiiiu tniiisiu.

'AHOMETANISM, which had made little progress so long Rapui as persuasion only was employed to propagate it. no sooner began to %vield the sword than it spread rapidly on every side. Before the death of Mahomet, in 632, it had sub- dued all Ai-abia, and made a considerable impression both on Syria and Persia; and iinder his successors it had, in the course of less than a centmy, not only con-solidated these conquests, but established an empire which stretched continuously from Arabia as a centre, west to the Atlantic, engulfing Spain and threatening the fairest portion of France — north and north-east through Pei"sia, to the vast region which extends between the Oxus and the Jaxartes, from the Caspian to Mount Imaus — and east beyond the banks of the Indus. Its progress in this last direction must now be traced. IB As early as the calijihate of Omar, the Arabs, coasting along the shores of I the Indian Ocean, had made predatory descents upon Scinde, chiefly for the